Clint? Laura? Where are you? (Book 1)
by funkypen1
Summary: After a phone call from a very confused and scared Cooper, is there more than meets the eye going on at Clint's farm? A/N The names of Clint's kids are from the movie not the comics, I've been made aware that they are different.
1. Ring Ring

Chapter 1

"Hello, Natasha speaking" she answered her mobile, whilst the rest of the Avengers continued to play on the Xbox Kinect. Thor and Tony were playing on just dance and were failing miserably.

"I'll be back in a moment guys I'm just going to take this call" Natasha says walking out of the room when Thor falls over, making the entire Avengers bass shake. "Who is this?" Natasha asked now out of ear shot of the others.

"It's Cooper. Natasha you have to come to the farm straight away!" Blind panic had taken over Cooper making it hard for him to speak.

"It's ok Cooper, just calm down and tell me everything" Natasha said.

"Well I just woke up and looked at the time, I immediately knew something wasn't right as it was one hour after my school would have started and my mum never lets us be late for school"

"Yes, so get to the point"

"My parents aren't here, no note or message of any kind" Cooper said, it sounded like he was going to have a panic attack.

"It's ok Cooper I'm on my way, keep your sister calm and feed your brother some formula milk, your mum usually keep some in the fridge"

"Ok, thanks Auntie Tasha"

"It's no problem and stay inside the house, I'll see you soon" Natasha hung up the phone and headed back into the other room.

"Hey Natasha it's your turn" Tony called.

"Sorry boys I've gotta make a house call" she said picking up her bag which held all the essentials.

"Where to?" Steve asks.

"I'm that, boys, is classified" she walked out leaving them to continue their game, if something was wrong at the farm she had to deal with it herself not them. Making her way into the garage of a multi selection of Audi cars she chose the A8, not her favourite but if needs be it would hold three kids plus herself. Opening the boot she threw her bag in before getting and putting shades on. Tony walked in just in time to see Natasha get in and drive out of the garage.

"Would you like me to track Miss Romanoff's movements sir?" The english sounding A.I know as J.A.R.V.I.S asked Tony.

"Yes. What are you up to Natasha?" Tony said before walking back upstairs to the others.


	2. The Symbol

Chapter 2

Two and a half hours later Natasha finally arrived at the farm. It was nearing sunset and the woods that surrounded the farm seemed increasingly eery. Natasha spied Cooper looking out of one of the upstairs windows of the house and he waved. Climbing up the outside wooden stairs which lead to the door Natasha didn't waste anytime in trying to get upstairs to Cooper as quickly as possible.

"Cooper are you ok?" She asked walking into his bedroom.

"I'm fine, Lewis is playing with Nicole in her room"

"Ok, good go and get them, tell them I'm here"

"What are we going to do?" Cooper asked not knowing if he wanted the answer or not.

"I'm going to pack your bags and your coming with me, it's not safe here." Cooper closed his bedroom door on the way out. Natasha froze. That symbol she would know it anywhere. Cooper entered with Lila carrying Nathaniel.

"What's the matter?" Lila asked.

"It doesn't matter" She lied quickly taking a picture of the symbol on the door.

"Let's pack your bags, your going on a holiday"

"Yay!" Lila cheered, "with you?" She then paused to ask.

"Yes with me"

"Is something to do with the fact that Mummy and Daddy aren't here?"

"Yes, they asked me to look after you for a while and take you on holiday, whilst they sort out some stuff"

"What sorta stuff?" Lila asked.

"Boring adult stuff, don't worry about it. Come on lets pack your bags and get out of here" Natasha said guiding Lila towards her room to pack.

"Sir Natasha has stopped moving" Jarvis informed Tony in his lab at Stark tower.

"Ok so where is she then Jarvis?"

"She is in the middle of nowhere"

"What do you mean?"

"Sir I mean, there are no registered buildings or facilities at Miss Romanoff's location."

"Ok I think I know where she is. Jarvis put the coordinates of her location into my suit"

"Yes sir

"And update it if it changes"

"Of course sir"

Back at the farm Natasha put the kids bags into the car and fastened the youngest two in. Revving up the engines before pulling down the excessively long dirt driveway. As she pulled away she looked up into her rear view mirror and saw the symbol again, but this time it was across the entire front of the house.

"Their still here." Natasha said forgetting that the kids where in the car with her meaning they could hear.

"Who's still here?" Cooper asked. The car slammed to a halt.

"Them" Natasha said nodding towards the people in front of the car.

"Cooper take the wheel and go, get on the main roads, call Tony Stark" Natasha said getting out and throwing Cooper her phone.

"I don't know how" Cooper said but the door of the car had already shut. He reversed the car and felt it hit something else. A person. He then accelerated round Natasha and the strange people, heading for the main road.

Natasha stood her ground. Not budging as the people closed in on her.

"Shall we play a game?" She said slyly.

Cooper looked back just in time to see Natasha and the men going out of view. Lila had climbed into the front. They reached the main road minutes later.

"Here Lila hold this" Callum said passing him Natasha's phone.

"What do I do now?"

"Just hold it" Cooper said as he flicked through the contacts whilst trying to still drive. He was doing amazingly well. There. Tony Stark. Cooper pressed call.

"Come on pick up" Cooper said tensely.

"Who are you calling?" Lila asked becoming suspicious.

"Tony Stark"

Meanwhile back at Stark tower Tony had come back upstairs from his lab to see Thor and Wanda now playing against each other on the game.

"Tony where are you going?" Wanda asks pausing the game.

"I think Nat's in trouble-"

"Sir you have an incoming call from Natasha" Jarvis said.

"Send it through. Natasha?" Tony said.

"Hello?! Hello? Is this Tony Stark?" A child's voice said.

"Who is this?" Tony asked

"I'm Cooper, Auntie Natasha told me to call you"

"Ok, do you mind me asking why? Where is she?" Tony asked becoming confused.

"Sir the car you asked me to track is on the move" Jarvis interrupted again.

"Hang on Cooper. Where Jarvis?"

"It is on the highway heading into New York"

"That's where I am" Cooper says.

"Ok I'm on my way, head towards Stark Tower" Tony said hanging up the phone.


	3. Tony to the Rescue?

Chapter 3

Cooper was driving at 60km/h down the road.

"What's going on?" Lila asked.

"I'll explain when we get to Stark Tower" Cooper replied just as a car not far in front blow up.

"Oh my gosh!" Cooper exclaimed swerving the car to avoid flying debris. Thud.

"What was that?" Cooper said as something landed on top of the car.

"It was me" Tony said dropping down in front of the car, in his Iron Man suit, which was now coming to a halt. Cooper had hit the brakes hard.

"You don't drive bad for a kid" Tony remarked as police sirens could be heard, "keep driving and don't stop until you get to Stark tower ok, I'll tell Captain America to look out for you."

"Can't you take us there?" Cooper asked.

"No, I have to deal with your tail" Tony said about to fly up into the air when a police car pulled up next to him. Two officers got out.

"What's going on here Mr Stark?" One of them asked, "and why's that kid driving a car?"

"Well someone blew up that car down there" Tony said pointing "and these kids are in danger so don't even think about arresting him or me for that matter" Tony said firmly.

"Very well then. What can we do to help?"

"Close the road both ways, don't let anyone in and yes you'll need more than tasers" Tony said answering all of the police's normal questions.

"Where's Natasha Cooper?"

"She was still at the farm fighting off some people all in black." Cooper explained.

"Ok, now go" Tony said as Cooper pulled away from the scene.

"Please be ok Natasha" Tony hoped.

Cooper arrived at the tower's front entrance, wondering what to do. It was bigger than Cooper had expected it to be and there was more press around as well. Then he noticed someone walking out of the entrance and over to the car. A male probably in his 30s with brown short hair. He knocked on the window of the car and Cooper wound it down, so the man could speak.

"Are you Cooper?" he said.

"Yes. You're Captain America" Cooper said confidently. Cap nodded.

"Move into the back so I can drive" Cap said.

"So what's your actual name?"

"It's Steve" He said driving the car round the back and into Tony's garage.

"Out you get"

"What about Nathaniel he can't walk yet?" Cooper asked.

"It's fine I'll carry him. Help your sister get out" Steve pointed. They walked through the seemly never ending garage to Cooper and over to a set of twisting metal stairs. Once up them they headed towards an escalator on the other side of a very busy lobby. Steve pressed button 14 and the lift started to move upwards. No one spoke during this very long ride. Ping. The doors opened to reveal a corridor with glass walls either side which showed office after office. Cooper and his siblings followed Steve through this maze of identical windows. Finally they stopped next to a huge office which also had glass walls. A woman with ginger hair sat behind the desk and waved at Steve before coming out to greet them.

"Tony said you'd be coming" The woman said joining them in the corridor, "I'm Pepper and you must be Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel" She said in a kind voice. "Where's Tony?" She asked Steve.

"Not sure he just told me to bring them up to the penthouse" Steve said.

"He went to find Natasha" Cooper said looking up at Pepper.

"Ok, which is where exactly?"

"Well she was at the farm last but I don't know" Cooper said Pepper tried to hide her panic as to where Tony was or might be.

"Ok lets go on up and get you guys comfy" Pepper said ushering them in the direction of another lift. This time it wasn't silent though as Pepper waffled on. The doors opened. Cooper was shocked at the size of the place up here.

"Woah!" Cooper exclaimed looking round the room.

"Yes it's big and you'll soon learn you're way around it, but first lets get you and you're stuff into some room shall we" Pepper said trying to keep the mood as cheerful as possible.

Tony was almost back at the farm when he heard gunshots. Flying in closer Tony saw Natasha vertualy surrounded by people dressed in black just as Cooper had described. Natasha seemed to be able to fight all of them off but not quite enougth to defeat them. Tony flew down next to Natasha and stood back to back to her.

"Hey Natasha" Tony said as if it was a normal day.

"What took you so long?"

"Bad traffic, a car exploded"

"Stop talking and fight already" Natasha said as she ducked a bullet and fired one of her own. Tony sent out a blast of power hitting one person in the head knocking them out cold. The rest of the people in black looked slightly taken back by this before resuming their fight patterns. Natasha had noticed the patterns and had started acting on them. Taking shots in their drawbacks. Tony didn't have quite the same approach he just aimed and fired. The people eventually went down.

"Now time for questions, who are these people Natasha?"

"I will answer that, but here. Right now we need to get these into the highest security prison cells you have under the tower." Natasha said holding her hand just above her waist.

"Are you hurt Natasha?" Tony asked

"No, I mean it's nothing" Natasha said.

"Ok then hold on, we're going back to the tower" Tony said as Natasha hung on to him as he flew into the air.


	4. Knights

Chapter 4

Landing on the top floor, Tony and Natasha arrived at Stark tower. They were greeted by Pepper, who then promptly told off Tony for turning his phone off. Natasha smiled as she saw Cooper and Lila sitting around one of Starks many coffeé tables colouring. Heading over she noticed Cooper had drawn the symbol that had been back at the farm.

"Hey you two. Are you ok?" Natasha asks kneeling down next to them. Lila nods.

"Yeah" Cooper responds, "this was that symbol, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. Do you mind if I borrow that?"

"No, you can keep it." Cooper says and grabs another piece of paper from the table. Natasha gets up and rejoins Tony and Pepper.

"It is alright if they stay here for a bit?" Natasha asks Tony.

"Yeah, of course" Tony says.

"Also where's Nathaniel?"

"He's asleep in one of the bedrooms" Pepper answers. Natasha nods then heads off in that direction.

"Don't forget you still owe me an explanation Romanoff!" Tony calls out.

Natasha finds the room where Nathaniel is and gently picks him up. He wriggles a bit but doesn't stir. She rocks him in her arms slowly, walking towards the massive one-way window. The city looked so pretty at night; all the twinkling lights that where just being turned on, the gentle hum of vehicles passing by on the streets below. It was so peaceful from up there. The door of the bedroom opened.

"Natasha?" It was Steve.

"Hmm"

"You ok?" He asked walking over to join her at the window.

"Yeah"

"What you watching?"

"Nothing really, except all of the lights turning on." Steve nodded, then pointed into one corner of the visible sky.

"Look."

"Ah, it's one of New York's night flyers jets." Both of them transfixed for a moment watching this tiny object drift across the sky. Natasha yawned. Steve took Nathaniel from her arms and put him back into his cot, that Pepper had found.

"Come on Natasha." He said guiding her away from the window and towards the bed. She collapsed onto it the second it was in reach. Steve lifted back the covers and tucked her in, before heading towards the door.

"Goodnight Natasha." Steve closed the door and Natasha drifted off to sleep.

Light broke through into Natasha's slumber causing her to wake. Siting up she looked around and remembered the events of the previous day. Her head turned to look at Nathaniel's cot. He wasn't there! Panic took over and she rushed into the main room. There was Pepper and Steve cooing over Nathaniel. Natasha let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and walked over to Pepper and Steve.

"Morning" She said.

"Rough night?" Steve asked pointing at her hair.

"What?" Natasha asked confused, then looked in the mirror and totally understood. "No. I always look like this."

"Ok. I presume you want this little bundle?" Steve said.

"Um, yeah" Natasha says her maternal instincts taking over and takes Nathaniel into her arms.

"Charge!" Shouting came from one of the corridors before Lila ran in screaming being chased by Cooper and Tony, whom were dressed like knights.

"Auntie Nat help me" Lila playfully cried and ran in circles around Natasha. Natasha passes Nathaniel back to Steve and crouches down. Lila climbs on her back and then they run back towards Cooper and Tony. Cooper splits from Tony and they chase Natasha with Lila on her back round and round and round the coffeé table. Pepper was laughing her head off and had to hold onto the bar behind her to stay standing. About ten minutes later Tony just lies down in the middle of the floor.

"Attack!" Natasha shouts as Lila jumps off and join her brother in flattening Tony. Natasha grabs three cushions off the sofa and passes two of them to Cooper and Lila before hitting Tony with them.

"Alright, alright" Tony laughs, "I give in"

"No knights don't give in they surrender" Cooper said.

"Fine I surrender" Tony says getting up and going over to Pepper who's finally managed to stop laughing.

"It's a good job you're not one of the knights at the round table" Pepper joked.

"Very funny" Tony says grabbing a beer out of the fridge. "Hey Cooper do you wanna use one of my laptops?"

"No thanks. Computers are boring." Cooper says before leaving the room.

"What's wrong with him? A kid who turns down a laptop?" Tony asks amazed.

"Well him or Lila aren't aloud anything that has Bluetooth or WiFi access" Natasha says "He can't even watch TV."

"What is that sad life?" Tony says.

"It was for security reasons."

"Can he even use a PC?"

"Yes. He's very good at hacking" Natasha says "They have stayed at my house before." Tony nods still not believing it. Cooper re-emerged carrying a book that was probably thicker than a watermelon, in his other hand was a thinner purple book. He sat down on the sofa and passed the other book to Lila. About an hour later Tony walked passed and they were still reading, but this time Natasha had joined them. Tony sat down in between Lila and Cooper.

"What are you guys reading?"

"My Secret Unicorn book 11." Lila answered.

"Lord of the Rings The Two Towers" Cooper said.

"Wow, I think just watching all the films is hard never mind the books." Tony exclaims. Natasha gets up and signals for Tony to follow.

"Can you keep an eye on them for a couple of hours? I need to run an errand."

"Yeah sure" Tony replies.


	5. Attack

Chapter 5

Cooper and Lila had gone to bed and Tony was left sitting on his sofa watching his TV. Pepper walked over and sat down next him.

"Hey" he said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hi" She said looking up at him. They just sat there for a moment looking into each others eyes. Tony leaned in to kiss Pepper.

"I can't sleep" A very tired looking Lila said causing Tony to stand up and pick up Lila.

"Lets see if a bed time story might help" Tony said. Pepper smiled to herself thinking what a great Dad Tony would make. She suddenly stopped those thoughts. Did Pepper want kids? That thought train was forced to a halt as something came crashing straight through the window, throwing Pepper backwards. Tony rushed in and saw the giant hole in the window.

"Pepper!" Tony shouted. A cough could be heard.

"Pepper?" Tony said worried running over to where the sound came from. He could see her through cracks between lumps of concrete which had blown in. Steve rushed in followed by Cooper and Lila.

"Tony?" He called out.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah but Pepper..." Tony stopped " She's trapped. Keep the kids back, I'm going to get my suit" he rushes off and returns moments later in one of the Iron man suits. He lifts some of the rubble. Pepper's almost out but Tony can't lift one rock off her.

"Steve I need your help" Steve rushes over.

"1, 2, 3!" Steve says. They manage to get the rock off of her.

"She need to be taken to the hospital" Steve says Tony looks at him worry plastered on his face. "You take her I'll stay here" Steve says just as two people covered in black outfits burst through the broken window. Steve rushes over and starts to fight them off. After five minutes of solid fighting they just wouldn't go down. One of them then collapses to the ground. Natasha had walked in and was firering an icer. The second person tripped Natasha and Steve up giving them long enough to write a symbol on the wall. Natasha got up to fight them again but they'd left. Then two paramedics arrived and took Pepper away to the hospital, Tony going with them.

"What's that symbol?" Steve asks "Who were they?"

"I'm not quite sure what the symbol exactly means there are multiple options, but as for who they are I know the organisation" Natasha says tilting her head slightly towards the floor.

"Who are they Natasha?" Steve says with a bit more force.

"They're the KGB"

"Seriously what do they want?"

"Me in exchange for Clint and Laura probably"

"Why would they want you? Surely working for Shield violated every code they have"

"Yes it does, but I was one of the best in the organisation"

"Ok, so why take Laura and Clint, couldn't they just ask you?"

"There not that type of people Steve" Natasha says walking off to find some quiet and think over a plan. She had to decript the code.

 **A/N I know it's short but I haven't had much time as I'm preparing to go back to school. Plus finishing any homework I got given for the holidays. So thanks for sticking with me and the story.**


	6. It Begins

Chapter 6

Natasha stayed up all night trying to decrypt the seeming impossible. She then suddenly thought of another code with translated with the use of books. Three symbols. That's what she had to find Clint and Laura. Natasha moved away from her laptop and went to get a coffee from the coffee machine. One latte. Tony walked into the room.

"Hey, you got any further yet?" He asked.  
"No" Natasha replied pouring milk into the mug, "have you?"  
"Jarvis is still trying to identify what code they're using" Tony said pausing "you sure you haven't got any idea about what their using?" He asked.  
"I'm sure" Natasha said sitting back down at the desk to stare blankly at the screen awaiting answers. A few hours later she fell asleep with still no answer to the ever so more fatal question.

Natasha awoke startled by her dreams. She hoped that what happened in there didn't happen in real life. There was a beeping coming from her laptop. It had decrypted the symbols. Bengal Tiger Temple. Where on Earth was that? Natasha thought, "better go tell Tony."

Tony was standing leaning over a metal workbench welding some gadget.  
"What does that do?" Natasha asked.  
"It's an upgrade on the arch reactor I've been working on to make it hopefully more stable on a bigger scale" Tony explained, "any news on what the message means?"  
"Yes, Bengal Tiger Temple"  
"Well, that's a lot to work with" Tony rolled his eyes.  
"Actually it is. See Bengal Tigers are only naturally found in one country, India, and a temple well how many do you think worship Tigers?" Natasha said.  
"This is way you're the spy and I'm not" Tony remarks.  
"Perhaps. Anyway can you set Jarvis to locate a Bengal Tiger Temple in India"  
"Yes Miss Romanoff" Jarvis said.  
"You can tell him things yourself, he recognises your voice" Tony said.  
"Oh right ok thanks Tony" Romanoff said before picking up a piece of paper with one of Tony's many ideas.  
"I have located a Bengal Tiger Temple, Miss Romanoff." Jarvis speaks up.  
"Where is it?" Natasha starts, "Actually don't tell me, send the coordinate to the avengers quinjet." Natasha walks out of the room with a slight spring in her step because they might finally be able to rescue Clint and Laura from their captors. She heads towards Cooper's room to tell him the good news. Throwing open the door to his room she saw Cooper and Lila sitting playing with some metal and plastic toy cars. They both looked at the intruder of their game. Natasha froze for a moment questioning whether to tell Lila the truth or not. She was so young. Only six.  
"Could you two meet me in the main living room in ten minutes?" Natasha asks. They both nod and go back to playing with the car for a little longer.

Natasha walks into the living room and sits on the sofa. James is there reading a tech magazine. He looks up and nods towards Natasha then goes back to reading. The room was silent except for a single clock going tick tick tick as seconds past, it was a surprise that Tony even had an analog clock. Pepper and Tony walk in and sit on the opposite sofa. Steve, Thor, Wanda, Sam and Vision walk in laughing their heads off about something of another.

"Hey Tony, what did you want to talk to us about?" Steve asks sitting next to Natasha.  
"Actually can you wait a minute whilst we wait for Lila and Cooper?" Natasha said as more of a order than question.  
"Yeah sure" he says leaning back in the seat. A moment or so later Lila and Cooper enter. The rooms goes silent again. Cooper looks straight at Natasha, not blinking.  
"What's going on?" Cooper asks. Natasha motions for them to sit down on the only available seats.  
"Well, Cooper you already know this but Lila"  
"Yeah" she says in her innocent little voice, causing Natasha to almost break.  
"Your parents, your Mum and Dad. Well they're missing, which is why you're here."  
"Mummy and Daddy are gone?" She whimpers.  
"Yes, but we may have a possible location." All eyes look at Natasha filled with hope.  
"What's the plan?" Steve asks.  
"We'll discuss that later. Lila it's your bedtime and Cooper it'll be yours soon, so put the toy car away in your room." Natasha says trying to make life continue as normal.  
"Can we come with you? To find Mum and Dad?" Cooper asks, Lila nods agreeing with her brother.  
"No, we don't know what dangers lie there so you'll be staying here with Pepper and Sam." Natasha explains gently. "Now off you two go." They leave the room.

Natasha finds herself staring yet again out at the world through a glass paign. It was the same view, even though parts of the city would have changed in the past 48 hours. Climbing into bed Natasha starts to worry about Clint and Laura. Had they left it too late? Were they seriously hurt? Natasha sat up in her bed and clambered out in her pjs and walked upstairs to the Avenger's jet. Looking at the coordinates she guessed it would take around ten to twelve hours to get there at full speed. If she took off now she'd make it there an hour or so before mid-day here. Time differences would make it 7:00pm there when she landed. Starting up the engines she noticed someone get in.  
"Trying to run off ahead? That's not very clever." Steve said.  
"Yes well, they could be hurt or dying out there!" Natasha exclaimed.  
"Hey, it's going to be alright" Steve might of pulled anyone else at this point into a hug, but this was Natasha. "Let me go wake the others and we'll take off in half an hour. Ok?" He compromises. Natasha nods not wanting to put up a fight against Steve.

Everyone was there ready for take off half an hour later. Tony was awake even if he was grumbling about being awake at this time of night. He soon stopped as he remembered the importance of leaving now that Steve had explained to them all before boarding the jet. Natasha and Steve restart the engines and they take off for their twelve hour flight to the other side of the world.


	7. Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

Chapter 7

The flight was bumpy and kept Natasha awake, she didn't dare put autopilot on in this weather. The sky was dark, a storm was coming. They flew into a thick dense cloud, rain pummeled down onto the roof of the plane getting louder as they went deeper into the cloud. Natasha couldn't see a thing. Suddenly the warning light came on, beeping from all around. Something was directly in their path. Natasha reacted quickly pulling the plane up further into the storm. The cockpit window started to freeze.

"You need to pull down Natasha" Tony said standing behind her. Natasha nodded and gradually pushed the plane down. Looking in front there was a dark shape in the clouds. It was moving, upwards. Pulling to the right just in time so that the objects wing missed them, Natasha let out a sigh of relief.

"What is that?" Tony asked.

"Some sort of ship, but who owns that?" Natasha wondered. The ship finally became visible as it left the clouds.

"Isn't that the Shield logo?" Tony asked.

"Yes, but I thought Shield had gone down last year with Hydra. Natasha?" Steve replied. Natasha stared at the plane for a moment longer, no doubt about it, it was definitely Shield. Natasha knew about Fury's contingency plans and knew one had worked, but she thought they were staying hidden.

"That's definitely Shield" she said to the others. The docking stabilizers had opened on the top of the plane. Natasha slowly flew into position, the Avenger's quinjet was now magnatised to the plane below. The cargo bay was opened and they went inside of the other plane. Shield agents were lined up along the walls either side. Natasha and the rest of the Avengers were on edge as Shield wasn't meant to exist, especially not to this scale. Several more important agents walked towards them. Natasha recognised some of them; Melinda May, Bobbie Moorse, Leo Fitz and Phillip Coulson. Wait the others don't know that he's still alive, Natasha thought. Tony blinked as he saw Coulson standing there. Steve smiled and Thor whispered something about dark magic. Coulson stepped forward to shake their hands.

"Spoilers" is all Coulson said.

"But how? I saw you die with my very own eyes." Tony exclaimed.

"I'm afraid that's classified information. Agent Romanoff" Coulson said nodding his head towards her, she smiled in return briefly.

"You don't seem very surprised by this Natasha" Steve pointed out.

"That's because I'm not."

"How come?"

"Because I already knew."

"How?"

"Classified" she said and walked off to follow Coulson. The three boys just stood there standing looking at each other.

One very boring meeting later the Avengers had explained everything, well Natasha had anyway.

"Ok then, so you're on your way to India?" Coulson asked double checking he had understood.

"Yes."

"Well, we can take you part of the way" Coulson offered.

"Ok thank you" Natasha agreed. They walked out of Coulson's overly shiny new office and into a lounge where the boys quickly discovered the games consoles. Natasha instead went to find Moorse and May so that she could catch up on what had been going on.

An hour or so later the Avengers were back in their quinjet and ready for take off as they had reached India. The clamps de-magnitised and they had lift off. Flying over dense areas of jungle, they scanned the ground with their eyes, searching for this temple.

"Wait what was that? Back there, I think I saw a break in the tree line." Steve said with speed. Natasha turned the plane around and hovered above where Steve had indicated. He was right there was a gap in the tree line. Using the cameras on the outside of the quinjet they zoomed in, to get a closer look. Sure enough there was a temple. In ruins, but it was there. The quinjet was lowered to the ground carefully, making sure not to hit any of these trees. They exited the quinjet and were hit by moist humid air, strange bird noises and the whispering of the breeze through the trees. The temple was crumbling almost everywhere that Natasha could see. Vines, moss and other various plants were growing up the sides. Old statues and carvings had started to fade away. Natasha noticed that one of the statues was a tiger head.

"We're in the right place" Natasha said.

"How'd you know?" Tony asked, Natasha nodded towards the tiger statue, lying on the floor in disrepair. They walked up the steps of this pyramid shaped building watching where they placed their feet as if the ground could give away at any spotted a shadow dancing on one of the walls in the entrance. Foot steps could now be heard, they were coming towards them. The Avengers looked ahead of them, once they reached the top of the steps, at the person in front of them.


	8. Unexpected Feelings

**A/N Any Brutasha fans get your tissues.**

Chapter 8

A man stood there with messy, black starting to turn grey hair, a purple ripped and dirty shirt on. Natasha blinked, not believing her eyes. Tears started to form but she held them back, Black Widow never cried.

"Natasha?" The man asked in his normal rusky voice taking a step into the light, allowing the rest of the team to see who it was.

"Bruce?" Natasha said not thinking of anything else to say.

"Well, what an unexpected surprise" Thor cheerfully joked. Tony walked over to him, hugged and patted him on his back. Steve went up and shook his hand, always formal but that was just Cap. Natasha staied there staring. Bruce broke the silence that had fallen by asking,

"how did you guys find me?"

"We didn't intentionally" Natasha said and then started walking back down the stairs, Steve chasing after her.

"What did Natasha mean?" Bruce asked Tony.

"We are actually looking for Clint and Laura, all the clues led here, but we don't know who took them. Well Natasha does but she won't say" Tony explained.

"Let me see if I can help with this" Bruce said urging Tony and Thor to follow them. "There some sort of carving, at first I thought the people who originally documented this place had missed them but with closer analysis, it shows that they are quite recent. Definitely made within a week. When did they go missing?"

"A few days ago. Natasha has been working clockwork, either to find them or looking after Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel." Bruce nodded with recognition.

"See what you make of them, I'm going to talk to Natasha."

Back outside Steve caught up with Natasha who'd reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Natasha! Wait up!" He called out, "are you alright?" Steve put his hand on her shoulder stopping her movement. She let out a sigh.

"I'm fine Steve." She snapped, "I just want be alone." Natasha tried to walk away.

"Hey, come here" Steve said pulling in Natasha for a friendly hug. "I know it mustn't be easy for you to see Bruce again after what happened last time, but give him a chance, at least to explain himself. Ok?" Steve reassured. Natasha found herself nodding in agreement.

"Thank you." Steve smiled, they both looked up at the sound of footsteps coming towards them.

"Hello" Steve said to Bruce and then walked off back to the others giving Natasha and Bruce the space they needed to sort things out between them.

"Hello." Bruce said shyly, "look-"

"No wait before you say anything, I'm going to be totally honest with you. I know I shouldn't have pushed you, especially when you didn't want to go there so soon after, you know, but we needed the other guy. All I can say is that I'm sorry." Natasha said struggling to keep the tears back.

"Hey it's alright" Bruce said placing his hand under her chin and raising it upwards gently to look him in the eyes. "I'm not going to pretend that it didn't hurt because it did, but it wasn't the fact that you forced me to turn into the other guy that hurt. It was the fact that you could have been hurt after I'd told you my worries about this, I just didn't know how to, how to" Bruce trailed off.

"It's ok take your time" Natasha reassured.

"I didn't know how to trust myself around you, I couldn't bare to loose you Natasha" Bruce declared placing his hands on both of Natasha's shoulders.

"So running away doesn't count as losing me?" Natasha quized.

"No, yes but not like that, at least I knew you were safe."

"And what about me? How was I supposed to know if you were alive or not?" Natasha argued.

"See this was never going to work, five minutes and we're already arguing." This caused both of them to burst out laughing. Bruce's hands fell down to Natasha's waist.

"I love you Natasha, and whatever you chose to do with that is fine, but just let me tell you that I care about you and I will never stop caring."

"Bruce I..." Natasha was about to reply but the rest of the team had come over causing Bruce to pull away. They weren't ready for them to know what was going yet.

"So Tony told me you are looking for Clint and Laura, your search led you here" Bruce quickly changed the subject.

They piled back into the quinjet Natasha retaking her position as pilot, she liked the solitude the cockpit could offer a person. Allowed her to wonder with her thoughts. Tony had said that Bruce had found some carvings in the temple, but she wasn't interested. Her head was all over the place at the moment, and in a way she wanted it to stay like that. To have everyone else take control. It was unusual for this to happen to Natasha, but she liked it.

Several hours later they arrived back at Stark tower. They were greeted by a very excitable Pepper, but her mood soon changed as she saw Bruce not Clint and Laura.

"What happened?" She whispered to Tony. Tony waved Pepper off and went off into a side room to talk to her. Vision looked up from the table he had been sitting at playing cluedo with Cooper and Lila. The kids got up and ran over to Natasha when they saw her with hopeful eyes. However they already knew the answer to their question when they noticed their parents weren't there. Their faces dropped as Natasha embraced them in a hug. Bruce standing at her side, but not too close.

"Everything will be alright" Natasha whispered into Cooper and Lila's ears.

 **A/N Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me on this story and thank you for the lovely comment Black_Widow1984 left! We're about halfway through the story now.**


	9. Who is it?

Chapter 9

That night Natasha awoke with a fright, she shot up into defense formation. Rustling came from across the room.

"You alright Natasha?" Bruce asked from a chair near the window in Natasha's room.

"When did you-?"

"You were calling out names Russian I think, as Tony and I walked passed so I came in to make sure you were alright. Then I just sort of fell asleep in the chair" Bruce interrupted, "but that didn't answer my question." Natasha let out a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Night Bruce." Bruce stayed there watching Natasha trying to gage her emotions, she was like a locked book where the key was no more.

"Ok, if you say so."

"It was just... a bad dream, that's all" Natasha said.

"Don't try and playing the avoiding game with me Miss Romanoff."

"It was about Clint and Laura, and that we spend our whole lives searching for them, and then when we do..." Natasha stopped and took a deep breath.

"Go on it's alright" Bruce encouraged.

"I just don't want this to really happen to them. I couldn't bare it, never mind their children." She paused and looked Bruce in the eyes, they were full of fear, but determination too.

"I dreamt that they were tortured, cut up alive and then fed to creatures, what they were I do not know." Bruce stepped forward and sat on the bed next to Natasha, placing his arm around her she leant in and a tear seeped down her cheek.

"It's ok, I'm sure that hasn't happened." Bruce said.

"Yes but it might have, I mean I know who took them." Bruce stared at her.

"Who?"

"I.. I .. can't say, otherwise they would kill them."

"Ok I won't make you, but what do they want?" Bruce passed her a tissue.

"Me." Bruce pulled her closer.

The next morning the sun shined through the blinds waking Natasha up. She looked to the right of her it was empty. There was a note on her table. Making breakfast, Bruce. Natasha slopped her legs over the side of the bed and slipped into her slippers with Stark Industries written in white on them. She headed over to the door and picked up her grey dressing gown and left her room. What was that she could smell? Bacon, eggs, coffee, and porridge. Following the smell she found herself in the kitchen watching Bruce as he cooked away at the stove not noticing her presence.

"Oh, morning. It's not quite ready yet." Bruce explained.

"It's ok, thank you." Natasha said walking over and sitting at the bar. She took out her phone and flicked through the news of the day.

"Anything interesting?" Bruce said bringing two plates of steaming hot food over and sitting down, they had the same except for the bacon Bruce being a vegetarian.

"No same old same old, different countries on terrorist alert, immigration problems in Europe excreta. Bruce nodded.

"I'm going to take a look at the symbol again, see if the dust sample I took could help." Bruce paused when he noticed Natasha had stopped eating instead just pushed the food around on her plate.

"What's wrong? I know stupid question" Bruce said when Natasha looked at him gone out. Thor walked in and sat down next to Natasha.

"How's the searching of birdman and his wife going?" Natasha went silent. Then got up and left.

"Was it something I said?" Thor asked innocently. Bruce didn't answer.

Natasha reappeared that afternoon in the lab, Tony and Bruce were talking about some sort of particle. Bruce turned round expectantly.

"Hey Natasha" Tony said turning back round to focus on the science, "so if we add another electron it should help stabilise it, Bruce?" Tony said realising he wasn't paying any attention and was staring at Natasha.

"Sorry what?!" He said now aware of what he'd been doing. Natasha walked over and sat on the bench behind them.

"Watch the tech" Tony called out.

"Should we tell her" Bruce tried to whisper to Tony.

"Tell me what? You really need to work on your whispering Bruce" Natasha demanded

"We analysed the dust particles and we think we have a location." Tony explained.

"Where?"

"Mount Elbrus"

"Makes sense" Natasha said. Tony gave her an odd look. "Doesn't matter."

"Look Natasha if you're with holding information, you're not going to help" Tony said bluntly.

"Hang on a second Tony that's not fair, Natasha probably has her reasons, but you're right it does make sense."

"Wait you know what she's hiding?" Tony asks annoyed.

"Yes, but she didn't tell me before you get to mad, I worked it out" Bruce said.

"Where's Mount Elbrus?" A voice asked from the doorway. It was Cooper.

"Russia." Tony answered.

"Is that where my Mum and Dad could be?" He asked his voice full of hope.

"No, they just wanted to know what the highest mountain in Russia was, to prove one of their little debates" Natasha said placing a hand on his shoulder and turning him around and out of the door, "go and play with your sister."

"Actually I came to tell you there's a call from our school and they want to talk to an adult about why we're not there." Natasha nodded taking the phone from Cooper's hand and left the lab.

"Hello" Natasha said.

"Hello, this is blackwell primary, how may I help you?"

"I'm ringing about Cooper and Lila Barton, I got told to ring you back."

"Ah yes of course I'll pass you to the attendance officer." Natasha waited for a moment while the transaction happened.

"Hello Mrs Barton."

"Actually it's Miss Romanoff."

"Ok, who are you in relation to?"

"I'm their Auntie."

"Ok, I'll put your name down on their contacts. Can I speak to their parents please?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible at the moment, there's been a family crisis involving Cooper's and Lila's parents. I'd prefer not to share the details if possible."

"That's fine but you should of called us."

"Yes I know I forgot, with everything going on it's been a bit hectic."

"Do you mind if I ask, but who are the children staying with?"

"Me."

"And are you allowed to?"

"Yes."

"I mean have social services approved it?"

"No, but in this case that doesn't matter"

"I'm afraid it does Miss Romanoff, what is your address so I can send them round?"

"I'm a fully fledged lawyer, I think I know what can and can't be done. My address, well I'm currently not living at my house as it was destroyed but I'm staying with my friend Tony Stark, I'm sure you know where he lives." Natasha said annoyed.

"I don't think you're telling the truth"

"Ok then look me up, Natasha Romanoff and then get back to me." Natasha hung up and headed back to the lab.

"We're going to this mountain."


	10. Mt Elbrus

Russia. An ice cold heartless place. A place where children's nightmares come to life.

Chapter 10

The aticipation, the rush and pure love that Bruce felt normally towards Natasha was over whelmed by worry. She hadn't slept for days and had grown warey. TOny had refused to let her and the team fly again so soon, as they needed the rest, but made Natasha even worse. However today was the day they would fly to Russia.

Natasha got up from her bed bright and early, leaving her room in search of coffee. It would be a long day as she would be the pilot most of the way, if Clint had been here he would have flown the quinjet part way, but if he was here then they wouldn't need to go to the mountains. Natasha thought to herself. They sturred up bad memories for her, from her training days with the Red Room. She soom found the coffee mechaine and felt the hot steam from the water hitting her face. The smell of the drink was strong as it slowly filled the room as she sat down on the sofa and decided to check todays news. Steve and Tony walked in talking about the plans for the mission, everyone was trying to stay as detached as possible so that they didn't loose hope as Natasha feared she already was.

"Hey" Steve said sitting down next to Natasha whilst Tony made a cup of coffee.

"Hi" Natasha acknowledged and continued to watch the news until Cooper came in the room and clambered next to her. Puting her arm around him she passed him the TV remote.

"I'm surprised Tony even has a TV with a remote" Steve remarked.

The flight in the qunijet seemed to last forever if it wasn't for the fact that Natasha had borrowed Bruce's headphones and Ipod. He really did like his classical music. Natasha landed the jet in a clearing at the foot of the mountain. Once the ramp opened the team stepped outside all but Natasha deciding to go back a grab a coat. The snow lay thick on the ground at least a couple of feet. Icey clouds covered the top of the mountain blocking Natasha's view. Once the rest of the team re-emerged outside, they set off along a path that sloaped round the mountain. It was covered in ice making it trecherous. Part way up they had to stop so Tony could take off his iron man suit, it was too clunky and had no grip in the ice. Natasha kept her eyes pealed for anysign whatsoever. She was use to spotting the unspotible, especially when it came down to who they were dealing with. THe wind started to pick up, snow was falling from the sky creating a blizard. They continued onwards despite the weather. Creaking could be heard as snow up ahead fell onto the path. Natasha almost stepped into it, but Bruce pulled her back. A few minutes later more snow from above fell. Knocking Stark off his feet and onto the ground. As he tried to get up he slipped again, off the edge. His hands shot to the edge of the cliff holding on for dear life. Steve and Thor rushed over to try and pull him up. His grip loosened as his fingers became colder from the touch of the cliff. Just as he let go Thor and Steve grabbed his wrists and pulled him onto the path, to safety.

"Are you alright?" Natasha asked looking Tony in the face. He nodded in reply. They continued further up the ever more trecherous mountain, until they came to an opening of a cave.

It was a dark never ending pit of blackness. They entered the cavern the wind whisltling against the opening creating a tune, a warning maybe of the horrors that lay inside. It grew narrower the further they went and slopped up slightly. There was no sign of life. Natasha sighed in her mind, they were never going to find CLint or Laura.

"Lets stop for a while and rest here" Cap suggested. They all gladly ploped down onto the ground, Natasha was hesitant so leaned against the wall instead.

"Come Natasha sit down. You look the most tried out of all of us" Bruce ushered.

"Gee thanks" she replied sarcastically and sat down next to Banner. They'd been sat there for about half an hour before they heard footsteps coming towards them. The Avengers jumped up ready for a fight. The pace of the foot steps had slowed at their movement. It was one person. Their silouet present of the wall of the cave against Tony's torchlight. The person then started into a sprint towards them.

"Natasha?!" They called. The Avengers except for Natasha froze, she went towards the voice.

"Clint!" She exclaimed as they embraced in a hug. They pulled appart and Clint then asked,

"have you seen Laura?" His voice filled with desparation.

"You mean she's not with you?" Natasha asked.

"No, where is she?" Clint asked "where are the kids?"

"Don't worry their at Stark tower with Pepper, Vision, Wanda and Sam" Natasha explained.

"Ok, I also saw this symbol that seemed familiar come look." Clint led the rest of the team to where he saw it in the cave.

"I thounght you might recognise it Natasha, do you know what it means?" Clint said.

"Yes." Natasha says and walks out hurridly. She couldn't let the others know what they meant, ever. It would destroy them.

"Natasha what does it mean?" Steve eurged.

"We need to get back to the tower" and with that she didn't say a word all the way back.


	11. Don't Do it Natasha Please?

Chapter 11

They soon decripted the other code that Clint had found inside of the cave. Natasha started to relax a bit but still shared the worry for Laura that Clint felt. She went up to his room carring a tray of hot food, knocking on the door she heard a groan meaning come in.

"Morning, I've got you your breakfast but don't think I'll be your cook all day" she chimed.

"Thanks" Clint said sitting up in his bed, "you haven't got an Ipad or something it's really boring in here."

"Well, you can borrow mine for now and I'll keep the kids away you need your rest. Shout if you need anything."

"I thought you weren't going to be my 'waitor'?"

"Well whatever just text me" Natasha said leaving the room. Clint picked up the spoon on the tray and dipped it into the creamy chicken soup, taking a mouthful he allowed the warm liquid trail down his throat. It was delicious. He recognised the recipe as being his own, he taught Natasha how to make it after Budapest. Then his mind wondered off to Laura. Where was she? He knew the others knew roughly where she was but they wouldn't tell him. This put him off his soup, but he knew he should eat, regain his strength so he could be of more use.

In the lab Tony and Bruce were running anilitical scans on the suposed location of Laura.

"Yes but don't you see Bruce, if we do this then if anything like this happens again then it'll take half the time to find people maybe less" Tony paused, "and I need your help buddy."

"Tony I just don't think that creating a world wide servailance system to watch every person on the planet is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Think what could happen if the security failed? Anyone could access it. Plus who would be made responsible for the data collected? Who could access it or be given access? And what for?"

"You're thinking too deep into this Bruce, stay on the positive side" Tony said slapping a hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"Yes I don't want to make the same mistake as we did with Ultron. We were careless then lets not do it again" Bruce pleaded.

"Do what again?" Natasha enquired suspisious of the boys, "what are you planning now?"

"Tony wants to make a world wide servalance system."

"That's the same reason why Shield fell last year, people trying to watch everything and trying to pervent things that will never happen, but hey go ahead cause another desastor." Natasha said sassily.

"Can't you see how brilliant it is though? It could revolutionise technology!" Tony enphused.

"Yes, but I can also see the dangers. Tony it could be used to kill millions of people" Natasha explained.

"You're one to talk with your history" Tony said getting annoyed at the fact he was the only one who seemed to see the potential.

"Natasha he didn't mean it" Bruce said stepping between the assain and the playboy billionaire. Natasha was fuming, but looking into Bruce's eyes she stopped.

"Oh yes I did" Tony chipped in. That did it Natasha practically leaped forward onto Tony, she could snap his neck right then. Bruce looked horrified.

"Take it back!" Natasha shouted. Pepper and Steve came running through the lab doors followed by Cooper and Lila who had been playing with Pepper.

"Tony!" Pepper called out. Steve held her back knowing full well what the assain was capable of.

"Natasha" Bruce said calmly looking her in the eyes. Natasha loosened her grip and shoved him forwards so that he almost fell flat on his face. Cooper and Lila looked shocked. Pepper rushed over to Tony.

"Are you alright?" She paused to look at Natasha, anger on her face. Natasha went to step towards her.

"Natasha don't" that was all Bruce had to say before she left the lab, leaving everyone feeling shocked.

"You alright Tony?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah. Go find her" Bruce didn't wait for any futher instructions and went in search of Natasha.

Natasha had found her quiet spot up on the roof. The fire door which led there was opened again and a arm came around Natasha's shoulder in comfort. She rested her head on him.

"Thank you Clint." He just smiled at her, knowing she wouldn't want to talk after over hearing the coversation.

"But you really should still be in bed, resting."

"I'm fine." Their short blunt sort of conversations is what Natasha liked about her friendship with Clint.

"Cooper and Lila saw it. My anger. My rage. Me attacking Stark. How am I meant to explain that one so that their not affraid of me?" Natasha said looking Clint in the face, her eyes briming with tears.

"They'll get over it. They're good kids they'll understand" Clint reasured.

"But I don't want them to dislike Tony either, I just don't know... know what to do?"

"It's ok Natasha I'll speak to them."

"Thank you. It should be me offering you sypathy at the moment not the other way round. How are you holding up?"

"I'm alright" he paused "I think that it doesn't matter who's worse off we'll still help the other." They stood there for a few more moments looking over the city skyline.


	12. Clint

p data-p-id="9640d90ad190c60c7c73c2169d89cb10"Chapter 12/p  
p data-p-id="f0d615c9e0de45b430c3bad82d913586""Natasha?" A voice came followed by a knock./p  
p data-p-id="360af60e0a9c43cbb2f36a537b1edd69""Come in." Tony walked in and sat on the chair in the corner of the room./p  
p data-p-id="d7dd80798285d0f47f73fc3b3f005244""I thought you'd want to know this." Natasha sat up in her bed./p  
p data-p-id="bebd5b7c3f20005e335912ca5c9f11bf""We've found Laura's location, well rough location. She's on one of the Galapagos islands."/p  
p data-p-id="9a9e0238aedcc499e43a02adb3815654""That's a long way away. Have you spoken to Clint this morning?"/p  
p data-p-id="e32a645b82242c2dd726a71ce1482019""No, why?" Natasha get out of bed, grabbing her dressing gown and goes down the hall towards Clint's room. She knocks on the door, enters and pulls the covers back from the bed. Damn. She thought. Tony appeared behind her./p  
p data-p-id="460353a104d7b8b7e9bdc89edcb832d1""That's why you keep an eye on Clint, as he's likely to do something stupid when Laura or his kids are concerned."/p  
p data-p-id="7ddeffb2777d61af6101bcf915021f88""Jarvis have you seen Clint recently?" Tony asked./p  
p data-p-id="4663d5615114763247683f8645cf22d1""He left the building two hours ago" the A.I said./p  
p data-p-id="7dfc0f3ff3a2f10241889df2c75c8298""Thank you" Natasha said. She emerged from her room five minutes later fully dressed./p  
p data-p-id="f0b0b37f1a96443b5422dfc944ca8c2d""Where are you going?" Tony asked. Natasha didn't answer./p  
p data-p-id="cdbc85b22a5cfeb8bfac9139a0ad2137""Where was she going?" Bruce asked, appearing a few moments later./p  
p data-p-id="3ffb13839da7a640820f96d1ae6a570b""No idea" Tony remarked. "Want to go tinker in the lab?"/p  
p data-p-id="425e9325e8ff9e578c200778bc5ec625""Sure, she is alright though?" Bruce asked concerned./p  
p data-p-id="75d02265b9fbb909b07e84ddf8be10a1""She's fine, she's Black Widow. If she's not fine God help the rest of us." Bruce remained unconvinced./p  
p data-p-id="880c0f3ef2744f782520c9e91ca37a7b"About an hour later Natasha returned with a very wary looking Clint. Tony and Bruce stood up from their seats in the lab./p  
p data-p-id="ff87bbf61859c9b1e563bc2197ecce02""Bruce" Natasha beckoned as she lay him on the medical table. Bruce proceeded with a load of bandages, a bottle of antiseptic, thread and a needle. Natasha and Tony watched whilst Bruce went to work patching up Clint. Clint started to wake up, but seemed dazed./p  
p data-p-id="28b15f043fa5d28f37162f390ecb17b3""Where am I? Laura?" He asked thinking Natasha was his wife./p  
p data-p-id="6dc6e448825ef11bd33e3e2c9deed14f""No it's Natasha."/p  
p data-p-id="f4460c4b884ba4350bb8a88d2a6b915c""Wheres Laura?"/p  
p data-p-id="3a536dfe45164002f339e29ff25809e8""Clint, what do you remember?" Natasha asked, not really wanting to tell him everything again. His face then went blank./p  
p data-p-id="e12ca960e45c126aebcdba661a60e284""Clint?" He shook his head then looked at Natasha./p  
p data-p-id="89c2f193487765cc10ddfdb18b81aa92""I remember now, don't worry."/p  
p data-p-id="dbb7b04cd2a594c7f987641c9448fbdf""I wasn't" Natasha lied. "We've found where Laura is, but you're not coming with us, not like that."/p  
p data-p-id="b224b957799f96176f16b856125018b3""Where is she?" Clint said anger creeping onto his face, "Natasha you can't stop me from going."/p  
p data-p-id="2f56e7bb9335e907032f33e1568f3d27""Yes I can, you're no good to her like this. You need to rest. Get better."/p  
p data-p-id="f7d49aefa519f1e881dc56734e05f4f6""Well I'm fine" Clint said getting off the table and walking towards the doors of the lab./p  
p data-p-id="4b301a785dfc92ffa73c0be8b58fee30""You're not going end of" Natasha said with some force. He tried to push past her./p  
p data-p-id="81093148cfe41c589435dcd3e9686861""Please don't make me fight you."/p  
p data-p-id="4f8a3347dbda0f1b793c574eb0a03a4d""It's for your own good Barton" Clint went into an attack stance. Natasha registered this and put her hand on her icer. Clint reacted to this and a full on fight had started. Tony and Bruce looked scared for their lives, they backed into one of the corners of the room. Natasha blocked his moves, as he did hers. Clint got Natasha on her feet and he made a run for the doors. Thump. Clint fell to the floor. Natasha had shot him./p  
p data-p-id="4d3449048d8bf53dd0bdd7cb7c605a5b""Oh my gosh" Tony exclaimed./p  
p data-p-id="e24dd409dfe04d4814a53824ea0f328c""Relax it's an Icer" but that got met with blank expressions so she explained, "a sort of more efficient tranq gun." Natasha walked over to where Clint lay./p  
p data-p-id="d01442ebd625da10ae37d514abd35a5c""Make sure no one tells him where she is, ok?" Natasha demanded. Bruce and Tony found themselves nodding./p  
p data-p-id="a22eb84252b4fcc240260b73d0817f54"Later that day they set off for the Galapagos islands in the quinjet. The vast blue ocean made Natasha feel at peace, even though they were probably entering a war zone, well death zone. They landed. It was deserted. Natasha heard no sound. That put her on edge, as she knew that the people they were facing are deadly, silent killers. Bruce had stayed on the plane, leaving Tony, Steve, Thor and Natasha. They walked round the base. There, what was that?/p  
p data-p-id="d4411854b9abfe8c254f39459eb280c1""Get down!" Natasha shouted just before all hell broke lose. Shots were being fired at them everywhere from every angle. They ducked behind a metal freight container. Natasha pointed her sniper rifle round the edge and shot three of them. Tony went to use an electromagnetic pulse, from his hands. Natasha stopped him./p  
p data-p-id="de18780e8feb7d19c4b8d782a88b0099""Follow my lead, do as I say. We're dealing assassins not villians." Thor looked sad at this. The opposition had stopped to reload. Natasha took the opportunity and bang, dead. She dropped the rifle on the floor and took out a pistol./p  
p data-p-id="aac41c1799ba15aa18966adc61ba1de9""Where do you keep those on that outfit?" Tony asked./p  
p data-p-id="5c9f924c7388da699c6b0ffa059da940""SSSHH!" Natasha hissed. They crept forward, toward a side entrance of the building. Steve turned round and shot two people from behind./p  
p data-p-id="f25b85e38c3d0645b73ff8c4fb5a0a9b""Tony, go get us a birds eye view" Natasha ordered, "Thor go with him, don't blow anything up." Natasha and Steve made it inside without anymore interruptions. She took a small disc like device out of her belt and stuck it to the wall./p  
p data-p-id="0fde3780cbba7e645ca4de883988e124""Banner you're up, what's the layout of this place? And scan for thermals."/p  
p data-p-id="c53a0aa19efe94cbe9dabf9c5806c57d""Five levels, four below ground one above. You have a group incoming, your 3 o'clock" Bruce said through the comms. Natasha and Steve took them down easily. They followed Bruce's instructions of the possible location of Laura./p  
p data-p-id="f6beb43655b2afc97e870ccf950e5ccf"Steve barged down a metal door. Inside was black. Natasha searched for a light switch. Ping. The bulb blew. Out came the torches. They scaweredd the room for information. Nothing. No Laura./p  
p data-p-id="0ae6234f55488f8a961606bfde885556""Bruce run another scan for Laura's DNA in the area" Natasha asked./p  
p data-p-id="54af3aca7dff419ebb6824f6d4a4cfcb""You can do that?" Steve asked./p  
p data-p-id="597d84424b7f8b1badc0c8014d336a44""You could since last night, Tony and Bruce made the program."/p  
p data-p-id="80040da454189a5dbdf0bf9af8d7dd97""There's nothing here, it's clear" Bruce said, "but there is a match on one of the other islands."/p  
p data-p-id="6c79d18da7112a0cc38f3c4022aa0487""Ok thank you Banner, lets go back to the jet."/p  
p data-p-id="922f806fd49ca7beab1ed44aaa9668e6"Everyone remet at the jet./p  
p data-p-id="9739d8fd30995a02fc386a0c67dd0ef1""So where's Laura?" Thor asked./p  
p data-p-id="0bd19b3a187a3dc2b643505570d5751a""Not here. Different island." Natasha explained. /p 


	13. Second Time Not So Lucky

Chapter 13

If she'd of known the cost she would have never have gone.

The piled into the jet and Natasha started the engines.

"We have take off" she announced as the wheels left the ground. There were many islands so finding Laura might take a while, hopefully the DNA scanner works properly, Natasha thought.

"Which island are we going to next?" Tony asked.

"I have no idea I'm just following the DNA" Natasha answered. A few minutes later they stopped and hovered in the air.

"Why are we not landing?" Steve said walking up to the cockpit to answer his question.

"Because the DNA leads to here, in between islands" Natasha stated.

"Meaning?" Tony asked

"It stops in the ocean." Natasha got up, opened a cupboard on the jet and took out several diving outfits.

"Put these on" Natasha slid into hers on top of her normal clothes. The suit was black and hugged Natasha's body, leaving nothing much to the imagination. She opened up the cargo bay of the jet and dived into the sea followed by Tony, Steve and Thor. Bruce thought that it would be a good idea if he stayed with the jet, as they didn't want a Hulk to deal with underwater.

Guns started firing through the water all around them.

"You've got to take out the turrets" Natasha said to Tony who launched a couple of missiles from his suit. The machines splintered into a thousand pieces across the ocean floor. They dove deeper reaching the seabed. There was a rock cliff about 100 metres away which they swam towards, with Thor whom kept becoming distracted by brightly coloured fish. Once they arrived Tony prepared to launch a missile but Natasha stopped him as she'd spotted a doorway. The door opened with ease, as if the kidnappers wanted them to come here. They entered the airlock allowing the air to flow in and replace the sea water. The next door opened and they were greeted with a present of soldiers firing rounds at them. Natasha and Steve managed to take them out with ease.

"Where now?" Thor asked.

"We need to find some sort of computer room, or transmission room, something that I can hack into, get the floor plan and Laura's location" Natasha explained. They split into two groups Steve and Thor on one, and Tony and Natasha on the other.

Every corridor was exactly the same, no markings or signs to distinguish them.

"Have you got a marker?" Natasha asked, "or something that would leave a mark?"

"Yeah, why?"

"The walls, thy're all the same."

"So it's like a maze, except if we get lost then we die" Tony said.

"Basically" Natasha took the pen from Tony and wrote a symbol on the wall.

"What does that mean?"

"Past, come on." They scouted the area, marking each new wall with a different symbol from the last. Nothing. Still absolutly nothing was changing, it felt like they were going in circles, slowly going mad. Natasha spotted a security camera.

"Wait" she called, holding her arm out in front on Tony so that he didn't walk right into shot of the camera.

"How are we getting past that?" Tony asked.

"We don't. We'll take another corridor round."

"I could just blow it up" he offered.

"No. You see the red mark on its wires?" Tony nodded, "that causes it to send off an alert if it's tampered with."

"What sort of alert?" Then a ringing sound started to echo along the walls, red lights flashed from nowhere.

"That sort" Natasha said, "Steve and Thor must have set it off, this is our chance to get in. They'll be providing cover."

"Ok, let's do it."

"On my count, one, two, ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Three." They ran round the corner, guards were waiting and tired to shoot Natasha and Tony down, but unfortunately for them Natasha and Tony were better skilled than them. They crept round corner after corner, until they met a solid heavy duty metal door.

"Rockets?" Tony asked.

"Rockets." They went flying into the metal, causing a huge sound, metal was flung everywhere. Tony took the first step into the new room. It was black, just like the last.

"Congratulations Natalia" a voice echoed from somewhere high in the room. Natasha took out her guns and pointed them directly at the sound.

"Oh, I thought you would have learnt from last time. Put those things down."

"Why should I?" Natasha fought back.

"Because of this" a lone light turned on in the room, illuminating the person. In his grasps was a woman of a pale complexion with brown long hair.

"Put her down!" Natasha shouted.

"You should know better than that, you know what happens to people when they boss me around." Tony noticed Natasha didn't answer, didn't flinch just remained to stare at the man.

"What do you want?"

"Well, that's quite simple really. You."

"Me? Why me? I'm nothing special."

"Oh on the contrary, you are very interesting and I have a use for you. A job proposition, but I knew you wouldn't just take it so insurance was needed."

"You sick son of a-"

"Enough!" He cut her off, "you will take the job, because if you don't she will die and her remains will be delivered to Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel at the end of their beds." Natasha didn't even react, as if she was use to it. Tony looked at Natasha, for the first time in a while he was scared for his friends decision.

"Do I get to know who the job is?" Natasha asked. Who? Tony thought that was a weird question, what maybe, but who?

"Yes, his name is Grant Ward. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes. Now give me Laura."

"As you wish." The man pushed Laura forward towards Tony and Natasha. Steve and Thor, reemerged trying to gather what was happening.

"You can't give yourself to this person Natasha, who even are they?" Tony whispered to Natasha.

"I can, and I have to. I know who they are but the less you know the better. Don't try to find me because you'll end up dead" Natasha warned as she started to make her way over to the man in a black suit.

"It's good to have us back in our ranks Widow." The man remarked, "now then let's discuss this job." The man tries to usher Natasha out of the room leaving the team standing with Laura.

"Of course sir" Natasha stated. Tony went to fire rockets at him.

"Oh I wouldn't do that" the man clicked his fingers and red dots appeared on everyone's chests, from snipers somewhere in the room.

"Now please leave before I change my mind." Natasha was gone, but Laura was back.

 **A/N Thank you for reading this, I hope you've enjoyed. This is the end of this story but don't worry there will be a sequel soon.**


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